2023 CSA Season Week Two

June 13, 2023

Welcome to Week Two! It’s been bright and sunny, and summer is so close you can taste it! We hope you’re all having a wonderful end to spring and enjoying the veggies in your box. Pretty soon, we’ll be out of the greens, and you’ll have even more types of veggies to look forward to!

Special Announcements

For those on the 12-week Extended Season Half Share program, this is your week! (For some of you that adjusted your first deliveries due to vacation, this is your week as well.) You’ll be getting these emails once a week, so keep an eye out for them!

Do you have your schedule and site info? Your share packages have been been emailed over the last couple weeks, but I’ve still gotten a lot of questions about schedules and where you’re supposed to pick up, so I thought I’d add a quick reminder to check your spam folders if it didn’t land in your inbox! If you still don’t find it in your spam folder, let me know and I can send it again.

A few things of note to remember for this season:

  • Please only take a box if your name is on the list! If you think it should be there and it’s not, email me at [email protected]. I will respond by the next business day and sort it out.
  • Please only touch YOUR veggies! Help us keep everyone safe from Covid and other illnesses by only touching your own box.
  • Check your name off the list, so we know you got your share! This helps us keep track of deliveries.
  • Please only take extras if YOUR NAME is on them! Extras, like strawberries or blueberries, are paid for in advance. Taking someone else’s purchase is stealing. Please don’t do this.
  • Please leave CSA bins at the delivery site! We do provide extra bags, but we ask that if you take one, you bring another to replace it at your next delivery, and leave the actual bins at the site.
  • Make sure you make the delivery window! We love to offer you shares at convenient locations, but our amazing site hosts are volunteers, and we only ask they make their property available to our members during the designated pickup window. Those times are listed on the website and your site info sheets. Please note that all residential pickup sites have a deadline of 7pm! If you can’t make that deadline, please call your site host the day of (the farm will not be available) to see if you can make arrangements. Shares left after that 7pm deadline become forfeit and go to the site hosts.

Are you going on vacation this season? Let me know!

We know the season is during the summer and we all like to go on vacation. We’re happy to accommodate you by either rescheduling your share, issuing a credit for the 2024 season, or donating your share to Food for Lane County. Please note: we are only able to make these changes with at least 7 days notice. If you’re unable to pick up your share the day of delivery, you will contact your site host to see if they are able to hold it for you. Your site hosts are under no obligation to hold your shares! The pickup deadline for residential deliveries is 7:00pm. After that delivery window passes, the leftover shares will become forfeit. Please make sure you contact your site host if you’re unable to pick up your share. Our office is usually closed or we’re out on the farm during those pickup windows, so we will not be able to help with missed pickups the day of delivery. 

        I will be in South Africa the last half of August, so please get your vacation days for Weeks 10 through 13 (August 8 through September 4) to me by August 1st so I can get them entered. If vacation requests for that time frame are submitted after August 1st, they will unfortunately NOT be processed. Thank you for your time and consideration! 

Come see us at the Eugene Farm Stand and the markets!

The CSA season is getting going, and that means you can find us at all the markets as well! If you’re in Portland, you can find us at the King Market on Sundays. Say hi to Aaron and Bruce! If you’re in Eugene, come see Lindsay and myself at the Eugene Farm Stand at 18th and Polk on Wednesdays, or chat with Kate, Julie, and Robert at the Lane County Farmers’ Market on Saturdays! We would all love to see you!

What’s in your box this week:

  • Strawberries
  • Green onions
  • Spinach
  • Chard
  • Lettuce

Some sites only:

  • Radishes
  • Turnips

We aren’t always able to harvest our veggies in equal share, but don’t worry! We’re keeping excellent notes. If we aren’t able to get you something this time, we’ll do our very best to get you next time!

Handy Tips:

  • Chard: Swiss Chard keeps best unwashed and wrapped in a damp towel or plastic bag. Store it in the drawer of your refrigerator, and wash before use to remove any unwanted soil or insects. Cut the celery-like stems away from the tender leaves (you can use the stems in soup stocks) or chop the whole thing up and use the entire leaves, including the stems. To cook chard, steam for 8 to 10 minutes or boil for about 3 to 5 minutes. The greens brighten in color when they’re nearly cooked and should not be over-cooked to preserve flavor and nutrients. Add them to soups or casseroles, or serve steamed, tossed with butter, garlic, and just a bit of lemon juice.
  • Green onions: Green onions, also known as scallions, should be stored unwashed and wrapped loosely in a plastic bag. Put them in the refrigerator, and they’ll keep for about a week. To keep green onions longer, chop off about three quarters of the tender, green tips; the end closest to the root is less perishable. You can eat the entire green onion. Use them chopped as a garnish, or use as a substitute for chives. Green onions are excellent in soups and stews, especially if added late in cooking. Grill, bake, broil, or stir-fry with a little oil to concentrate their sweetness and flavor.
  • Spinach: Rinse spinach leaves in cool water and pat them dry with a towel or “spin dry” as you would lettuce. Store in a damp towel or plastic bag for up to a week. Spinach can be steamed, sauteed, eaten raw, or added to soups at the last minute. For long-term storage, you can freeze spinach, then blanch it for 1 to 2 minutes. Spinach cooks quickly, so be careful not to overcook. Look for a bright green color. Two to three pounds of fresh spinach will reduce to two cups when cooked.

What we’re making:

  • As the days heat up, put those delicious Winter Green strawberries to good use and make some fresh Strawberry Lemonade!
  • Are you looking for a way to hide the veggies from your kiddos while still giving them an amazing, healthy meal? Give these Stuffed Shells with Spinach a try!
  • If you like curry and chard, this Wali Ya Mboga recipe might just be for you!

The first few boxes are usually a little smaller than the rest as our veggies kick into high gear, but these first couple weeks have been amazing! We can’t wait for them to get even more colorful and delicious over the rest of the season. We hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy the sunshine!

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers